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.1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four

by: George Orwell

January 29, 2004
It is tempting with the `wisdom' of the twentieth century to dismiss as irrelevant a book guilty of false prophecy. However the achievement of George Orwell's masterpiece is not to be found in the accuracies of his predictions, but in its warning about the danger of power unchecked and the lengths to which those in power will go in order to remain there.

We are presented with a vision of the future (now our past) in which the world is divided amongst the totalitarian superpowers of Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Our story is set in a London controlled by `The Party' - who presence is felt by the ubiquitous Big Brother and its enforcement arm the Thought Police; told through the figure of Winston Smith: a lonely and silently dissident ... Read More:
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.Animal Farm

by: George Orwell

July 03, 2008
It is tempting with the `wisdom' of the twentieth century to dismiss as irrelevant a book guilty of false prophecy. However the achievement of George Orwell's masterpiece is not to be found in the accuracies of his predictions, but in its warning about the danger of power unchecked and the lengths to which those in power will go in order to remain there.

We are presented with a vision of the future (now our past) in which the world is divided amongst the totalitarian superpowers of Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Our story is set in a London controlled by `The Party' - who presence is felt by the ubiquitous Big Brother and its enforcement arm the Thought Police; told through the figure of Winston Smith: a lonely and silently dissident ... Read More:
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.Homage to Catalonia (Penguin Modern Classics)

by: George Orwell

June 05, 2003
Note how the great Orwell never says anything positive about those doing the bulk of the fighting against Franco - in fact, note how he barely mentions Franco and fascism at all! In the course of the events he descibes in this book, he spends most of his time doing nothing, like the rest of his Trotskyist and anarchist friends. Meanwhile, the Republicans, whom he slanders from afar, were fighting and dying in the front line against the Nazi and Italian forces who enabled Franco's victory. Note also how he never says a positive word about the Soviet Union, which was the only country to help the Republic, while the British and French governments helped Hitler and Mussolini to intervene.
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.1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four: York Notes Advanced

by: George Orwell

June 09, 2005
Note how the great Orwell never says anything positive about those doing the bulk of the fighting against Franco - in fact, note how he barely mentions Franco and fascism at all! In the course of the events he descibes in this book, he spends most of his time doing nothing, like the rest of his Trotskyist and anarchist friends. Meanwhile, the Republicans, whom he slanders from afar, were fighting and dying in the front line against the Nazi and Italian forces who enabled Franco's victory. Note also how he never says a positive word about the Soviet Union, which was the only country to help the Republic, while the British and French governments helped Hitler and Mussolini to intervene.
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.The Road to Wigan Pier (Penguin Modern Classics)

by: George Orwell

April 26, 2001
Born and bred in Wigan.I had read 1984 and Animal Farm but had put off reading TRTWP until I was 50.
Orwell writes of the hopelessness of the masses and concludes that they accept their lot because of the "palliatives" of modern technology i.e.cheap clothing (dream of being Greta Garbo or Clark Gable) , alcohol,the movies, radio, the football pools etc.
The government massage and manipulate statistics to show unemployment levels and poverty to be a fraction as bad as they really are.
The middle-class believed that the poor should be instructed to spend their means tested allowance wisely eating tasteless but healthy food,wholemeal bread,oranges,raw carrots etc and to shun alcohol and tobacco etc.
Tell me as anything really changed or have we ... Read More:
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.George Orwell Omnibus: The Complete Novels: Animal Farm, Burmese Days, A Clergyman's Daughter, Coming up for Air, Keep the Aspidistra Flying, and, 1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four

by: George Orwell

February 22, 2001
I have huge admiration for Orwell's work as a writer and I am a strong admirer of his fiction, although apart from his last two novels I don't think it was the field he was best at. I urge any reader interested in his stuff to seek out his novels and read them. However, this is definitely not the best edition to read them in. Orwell's work was only subjected to proper editorial scrutiny in the late 1980s, with the release of Peter Davison's magisterial Complete Works. This book is a modern reprint of much earlier collection of uncorrected texts of his novels. The type is so tiny that the book is hard on the eyes, plus the texts of the novels are in most cases very corrupt.

If you want to read these books, the only reason you should get this edition is that you are very young, ... Read More:
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.Down and Out in Paris and London (Essential Penguin)

by: George Orwell

February 25, 1999
Despite its autobiographical nature this book is perhaps the least powerful of all Orwell's books that I have read so far. Whilst it does provide some insight into the lives of the less well off Orwell never quite seems to join their ranks and he story is that of an Old Etonian fallen upon hard times. Nevertheless he is still a skilful author and whilst this book may not be as thought provoking or as damming as his other books there is still plenty of meat to chew on and is still a useful answer to those who still link poverty with laziness.
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.Essays (Penguin Modern Classics)

by: George Orwell

June 29, 2000
In these by times highly emotional essays written in the 1930s and 1940s George Orwell gives us with in depth analyses his personal viewpoint on the literary, political and socio-economic scene.

In literature, he sees the novel as `a Protestant form of art, a product of the free mind, of the autonomous individual.' Orwell's aim was to `push the world in a certain direction: a battle against totalitarianism and for democratic Socialism.'
In his criticism he searches for the essential (hidden) message of the author.
Dickens's rather naïve creed is: `If man would behave decently, the world would be decent.' His ideal is `a hundred thousand pounds, a quaint old house, a sweetly womanly wife, a horde of children and no work.'
Henry Miller's books are `a passive acceptance of decay and ... Read More:
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.Animal Farm: A Fairy Story

by: George Orwell

September 03, 1998
Unlike other books which you are forced to read at school, or which are labelled classics and which turn out to be wildly disappointing, this book lives up to its hype.

It is a simple political allegory acted out in a farmyard setting with the animals deciding they have had enough of being 'ruled' by the farmer and that they could do a better, fairer job by themselves. Orwell charts their progress with its initial ups and final horrifying downs with a sense of wondrous glee which lifts this book out of the ordinary and well above the usual fairytale standards.

The book is simple, short and yet breathtakingly powerful. It has huge emotional impact and will stay with you long after reading it. I am glad that I didn't read it at school and discovered it later in my adult life when I could ... Read More:
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.Nineteen Eighty-Four

by: George Orwell

July 03, 2008
Unlike other books which you are forced to read at school, or which are labelled classics and which turn out to be wildly disappointing, this book lives up to its hype.

It is a simple political allegory acted out in a farmyard setting with the animals deciding they have had enough of being 'ruled' by the farmer and that they could do a better, fairer job by themselves. Orwell charts their progress with its initial ups and final horrifying downs with a sense of wondrous glee which lifts this book out of the ordinary and well above the usual fairytale standards.

The book is simple, short and yet breathtakingly powerful. It has huge emotional impact and will stay with you long after reading it. I am glad that I didn't read it at school and discovered it later in my adult life when I could ... Read More:
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